Starting next year, all European phones will charge through micro-USB

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Ever had your smartphone run out of juice while at a friend’s house, only to be prevented from using his charger because of the difference between the proprietary charging standards utilized by your two phones? Europe’s finally doing something about that annoyance: starting next year, every new cellphone in Europe will have to be able to charge via micro-USB.

The decision comes via two European electronics standardization bodies who have published specs detailing how data-enabled phones made by different manufacturers really should all be using the same micro-USB charger standard.

Believe it or not, given how these companies seem to love their proprietary charges, this was actually a voluntary deal, backed by a host of big names such as Apple, Nokia, Qualcomm, RIM, LG and Samsung.

It’s worth noting here one big distinction, though: while all smartphones now have to be able to charge through micro-USB, they don’t have to sync through it. So don’t expect the mark up on proprietary cables to go away: companies are making a brisk trade of that, and wouldn’t part with that slice of their business easily. However, at the very least, you should now be able to charge your phone in an emergency no matter where you are or what phone you use.